This may be beginning to sound boring, but Richard Wright is a sensation. No doubt about it.

Hundreds, no, thousands of words have been written about the 21-year-old this season but anyone who has seen him will know why.

Town fans may proclaim David Johnson as the King of Portman Road. The fact is Wright took that crown long ago.

The discussion about how many points Wright has earned his side this season has also been talked about plenty of times. The reason it is still topical is that the figure just keeps on rising.

And now Wright has written his name in the record books. This was his 20th clean sheet in the league this season - equalling the number Town kept in 1979-80.

The record will doubtless be shattered in the coming weeks. The Town defence may have something to do with that, but on Saturday they, at times, did their best to leave Wright unprotected.

Not that it mattered.

Either Rovers' strikers failed to hit the target - and Wright probably had plenty to do with that - or the heir to David Seaman's England throne came up with tremendous saves.

There were just two in this game - but they were breathtaking. In the 44th minute Wright pushed out a left hand to turn Scott Taylor's shot away following Manuel Thetis's mistake.

Then, after Thetis had given Town the lead, Wright clawed away a vicious strike by substitute Jason Koumas to preserve the three points which pushed his side back up to second in the table.

Tranmere arrived at Portman Road unbeaten in seven games and brimming with confidence, and it showed.

Ipswich, themselves unbeaten in six, had no answer to the slick passing which admittedly was aided by the home side's tendency to concede possession with worrying ease.

New coach John Gorman's programme quote that he had joined the best football team in the league had a hollow ring about it for the first half. They were not even the best team on this pitch for the opening 45 minutes.

But Tranmere's inability to hit the target - plus that wonderful save from Wright kept it goalless at half time.

Inside the first 15 minutes both Parkinson and Mahon were narrowly off target with efforts from outside the box.

At the other end Richard Naylor's miscued shot was blocked, while loanee Jim Magilton, who boss George Burley is still hoping to sign on a permanent basis, saw his free kick deflected over.

Wright's only mistake of the afternoon - a poor clearance - fell to the lively Parkinson but he curled wide.

With Ipswich unable to control the midfield and the defence failing to find the target with their balls forward, Tranmere continued to press.

Fabian Wilnis was ineffective at right wing-back and took 35 minutes to supply a cross. The wandering Bobby Petta, in for broken leg victim Kieron Dyer, was little better but at least troubled the defence on a couple of occasions.

Matt Holland, making his 100th consecutive start for Town, was the only one capable of much.

So the action continued in front of Wright. Mahon hit the side netting, Irons's strike hit Mark Venus in the face and Taylor missed the best chance of all, dragging the ball wide after a lucky ricochet off Venus.

David Johnson almost nipped in to give Town an undeserved lead after keeper Coyne spilled Petta's low shot just before the half-time whistle - a welcome relief for Ipswich.

You got the feeling things would turn after the break and they did. Naylor volleyed an early chance at Coyne who then turned Tony Mowbray's effort round the post.

There still looked no way through and in the 77th minute home hopes sank to new depths.

When O'Brien pushed sub Mick Stockwell in the box, Ipswich were awarded a penalty but Venus's spot kick was well saved by Coyne.

Two corners later everything changed. Magilton's flag kick bobbled about before James Scowcroft, back after three months out, headed goalwards and Thetis stuck out a leg to nudge home.

Still the hosts needed Wright, and a crucial late block by their best defender, Mowbray, to secure the win.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.